Understanding Evidence

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a new report Understanding Evidence: Part 1: Best Available Research Evidence. Subtitled A Guide to the Continuum of Evidence of Effectiveness, this publication provides guidance on how to understand the different types of evidence about prevention strategies.

While the focus of this report is on research, I like the way this report acknowledges that research is only one type of evidence used for violence prevention work. The report states

Literature suggest that two other forms of evidence are also very important when making decisions based on evidence:

Experiential Evidence: This type of evidence is based on th professional insight, understanding, skill, and expertise that is accumulated over time and is often referred to as intuitive or tacit knowledge.

Contextual Evidence: This type of evidence is based on factors that address whether a strategy is useful, feasible to implement, and accepted by a particular community.

Check out all of the great charts on effectiveness and strength of evidence.